The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-13
Accommodation and Christianity.

MOnammeO8n1sm ana SHrlsuianlty'
The assertion that Mohammedanism is ad-
vancing far more rapidly than Christianity
in Asia and Africa has often been made Of
late years, but when 1t was repeated short
time ago In the English Church Congress, by
a dignitary OF the Church. 1t was received
with surprise and anger.
The speaker was the Rev. ISAAC TAYLOR,
Canon OF York, and his exact declaration
was that "in Asia and Africa Islam, as a
missionary religion, is more successful than
Christianity, and our efforts to convert
the Mohammedans have failed" Having
since the Congress been challenged to prove
these statements and produce the facts to
sustain his CONGRATULATIONS Canon TAYLOR
now answers his critics and questioners
through the London Times.
He points out that, according to the CEN
sus returns, the Mohammedan population In
India increased 9,239,O62 between 1871 and
1881. or about % per cent. After making
ample allowance for the natural increase Of
births over deaths, this shows that the con-
version Of heathens and Christians to Mo-
hammedanism had been going on at the
rate of 100000 year. During the same
period the conversions to Christianity barely
amounted to one-tenth of that number.
Yet tho Mohammedans have no paid mis-
sionaries and no organized missionary agen-
cies. Their conversions must, therefore, be
due to the voluntary efforts Of individuals
and the intrinsic attractions Of their faith.
Meanwhile the Christians, on the other hand
have all the prestige Of q Christian govern
ing power, and are expanding vast sums on
lvy%j for hou
established and carefully methodized system
Of missionary effort OF the total number of
conversions to Christianity, too all, except
comparatively small part, are in the extreme
south Of the Madras Presidency, where
Christianity obtained firm footing at very
remote period and the Christians are more
numerous than anywhere else In India
Canon TAYLOR also finds as q startling
result" that four-fifths Of the Christian con-
verts are Roman Catholics.
In the northern and central provinces,
where Islam Is strong, and the conversions
to Mohammedanism are at the rate OF half
a million a year, the conversions to Chris
tianity, to use his words, "are practically
nil" The most active and powerful OF the
English missionary societies at work in In
dia is the Church Missionary Society. ac-
cording to whose report 81 missionaries and
native agents, employed at cost Of toward
$25OOOO. made last year only 297 converts
out Of population Of 22O,OOO,OOO in those
provinces, II the number Of genuine converts
be measured by the number Of adult bap-
tisms. OF these converts, only seventeen
seem to have been Mohammedans, out of
Mohammedan population of $4,000, 900, and
some Of them were very suspicious, as in
fact, conversions from Islam almost invari-
ably are.
Then he turns to countries distinctlvely Mo-
hammedan, and in the four missionary fields
of Persia, Palestine, Arabia, and Egypt finds
that 100 missionaries and native agents, en-
ployed by the Church Missionary Society at
cost Of $4,000, converted and baptized last
year only one adult convert. This solitary
convert, according to the report, was "a
certain Moslem girl in the orphanage at
Jerusalem, whose conversion" Canon TAY-
LoR suggests, sis perhaps accounted for by
the statement that she Is easily Influenced
and requires constant guidance" In all
Egypt and Arabia the whole number of ma
tive Christian adherents" Is put at 10 only
and they perhaps, as he surmises, are large
ly made up of the wives and children Of the
four native lay teachers"
The practical results OF Eastern mission
airy labors, In the way of actual conversions,
are not more encouraging elsewhere. In
Ceylon last year s74 agents made only 2O7
at a cost Of more than $4,000; in
mid China II agents made 63 converts ut a
cost of $4,000, and in south China l4S agents
made 297 converts at a cost Of about $4O, 900.
These are the facts and statistics with
which Canon TAYLOR meets the challenge OF
his critics, and they are quite interesting.
AS to Africa, he will speak In another letter,
but the spread OF Islam there has been 80
within recent years that he will |
have no difficulty in proving his point
Mortality in This State.
Though by a law passed In 1895 the repis-